DATE: October 22, 2009 TITLE: Research Associate, Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction DEPT: Research REPORTS TO: Director, Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction AVAILABLE: Immediately HOURS: Full Time Regular BACKGROUND: The New England Aquarium has a long history of collaborating with the fishing industry to research and develop fishing methods that reduce the bycatch of threatened non-target marine animals. In the 1990s, the Aquarium's Research Department led a controlled study of acoustic pingers on gillnets in the Gulf of Maine that showed a reduction of harbor porpoise bycatch to almost zero, and carried out studies to quantify post-capture mortality in non-target species such as sharks. In 2004, the Aquarium formed the Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction, a collaborative venture between Blue Water Fishermen's Association, Duke University, Maine Lobstermen's Association, the University of New Hampshire, and the New England Aquarium. The Consortium supports collaborative research between scientists and the fishing industry to develop practical fishing techniques that avoid the depletion of species endangered by excessive bycatch. Its projects fall under three major program areas: (1) global exchange of bycatch reduction technology, (2) understanding non-target wildlife interactions with fishing operations, and (3) research and development of bycatch reduction techniques. JOB SUMMARY: The Research Associate will be responsible for a combination of fisheries and wildlife research and grant administrative functions. These may include working with fishermen in the development and evaluation of fishing gear, participating in gear workshops, analysis of catch/bycatch data from at-sea trials, analyzing data on gear performance or wildlife behavior, the review and synthesis of pertinent reports and scientific publications, developing work programs for grantees, and producing written reports and analyses based on projects carried out by the Consortium. RESPONSIBILITIES: Help organize meetings and workshops among Consortium members and other individuals engaged in bycatch reduction research and mitigation. Help produce scopes of work for Consortium projects. Review studies of potential or existing bycatch reduction methods, and upload summaries to the www.bycatch.org website. Help develop and maintain content on the www.bycatch.org website. Carry out desk-top, lab, and field research leading to the production of publishable papers on topics directly supporting the Consortium's objectives. Analyze data generated by Consortium projects and incorporate the results into project reports or peer-reviews publications, in collaboration with project PIs. Assist in writing and assembling project reports for NOAA Fisheries. Monitor budgets and progress of subcontracts. QUALIFICATIONS: Advanced knowledge and practical understanding of fisheries bycatch. Proven skills in statistical analysis of fisheries and other datasets. Proven skills in administration and fiscal oversight of grants and contracts. Demonstrated skill in writing technical reports and scientific papers. Ph.D. or M.S. with several years experience in the field of bycatch or fisheries research. Ability to oversee and carry out projects with minimum supervision. Commitment to the objectives and goals of the Consortium. Ability to work effectively in collaboration with other scientists and fishermen. TO APPLY SEND RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO: HUMAN RESOURCES NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM CENTRAL WHARF BOSTON, MA 02110-3399 E-MAIL: JOBS@NEAQ.ORG